Windlass



(No Model.) Y I i C. E. OSENBURG.

Windlass.

NQ. 240.172. Patented April 12,1881.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

CHARLES E. OSENBURG, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

WINDLASS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 240,172, dated April 12, 1881.

Application led September 20, 1.880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, CHARLES E. OSENBURG, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Windlasses, of which the following is a specification.

The nature of myinvention consists in a novel combination of a windlass-shaft, a rope spool or drum, mechanism for interlocking the shaft and drum, and mechanism for arresting the movement of the shaft when a formidable obstruction is encountered, and for automatically e'ectin g the unlocking of the drum from the shaft, and thereby allowing it to revolve backward independently of the shaft, and in revolving to pay out the rope, and thus relieve the operators of the windlass from the said resistance, as well as save them and the windlass connections from injury. My invention avoids the necessity of havin g the Windlass-shaft slide in its bearingsand this result is effected by means which are better adapted for the purpose than those heretofore used on oysterdredge windlasses which have their powershafts held from sliding. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved windlass as it appears when the drum is disconnected from the power-shaft. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section in the linew 'x of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical central longitudinal section of the main parts of Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is an end view of the drum. Fig. 5 is a detail l view of the sliding part of the clutch. Fig. 6

is a longitudinal central section of the other portion of the clutch. Fig. 7"is an end view of the same. Fig. Sis a modified construction of the two-part clutch shown in Fig. 3..

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A represents a frame, B a drum, C a powershaft, and D a pawl.

The drum B is loosely fitted upon the shaft C, and is at one end provided with locking-lugs, as at b. These locking-lugs b lare matched by similar lookin g-,lu gs, e, on the sliding part E of the clutch. The lugs e lit between the lugs b, so as to lock the drum to the shaft C when retted upon the shaft C, and said partE is pre.- vented from turning thereon by a feather or straight key, c, which allows it to slide longitudinally upon the shaft. Ou'the cylindrical surface of the part E inclined projections or teeth e are formed, which abut forward or in the direction the shaft is turned when the dredging-rope is being wound up. Near one end of the frame A, as shown in Fig. l, the part E of the clutch is provided with an annular groove, e2, into which the forked head f of a lever, F, engages. The lower end, f', of the lever F is inserted into a horizontal handlever, G, suitably pivoted at g to the frame A, as represented. By means of this hand-lever the operator can effect either a connection or a disconnection between the power-shaft and drum, as he can by said lever move the lugs e within or out of range of the lugs b. Upon the part E of the clutch the eylindric sleet'e portion H is fitted, and the inner portion of this sleeve is provided with inclined projections or teeth h, which match the teeth el of the part E of the clutch and gear with them. The end portion of the sleeve H, near the drum B, is provided with outer ratchet-teeth, It', into which a pawl, D, engages, said pawl being suitably pivoted to the frame at d. The drum B is provided with a dredging-rope, J, and the power-shaft G may be provided with handcranks c.

Operation: When the dredge is beinglowered to the oyster-bed the windlass is set as in Figs. 1 and 3, the drum being uncoupled from its shaft, so that the rope may freely unwind. As soon as the dredge hasv reached its destination the part E of the clutch is moved toward the drum until the lugs b and e are caused to engage with each other. The shaft C is now revolved and causes the drum B to revolve withit, and by this means the rope Jis Wound upon the drum and the dredge hauled toward the vessel, which is under sail, dragging the Adredge along. If the dredge should be caught against a rock or other impediment and suddenly stopped in its movement, the sleeve H will be arrested against a back movement by means of the ratchet-teeth l1.' and pawl D, whereupon the strain of the rope upon the drum B will instantly force the inclined sides quired. The part E, with its lugs, is loosely of the teeth e against the inclined sides of the IOO teeth h of the clutch, and thus the part E ot' the clutch will be forced away from the drum B until the lugs b and c are disengaged, Whereupon the drum will be free to revolve upon its shaft C and pay out the rope as rapidly as the speed ot' the vessel requires. In the meantime the course of the vessel may be changed, in order to get near the entangled or anchored dredge and set it free.

In Fig. 8 the ratchet-teeth e 71J are not hidden by a sleeve, H, but are formed on matching` disks, as shown. They, however, operate substantially in the same manner as the plan shown in the other figures; but I prefer the construction shown in Figs. l to 7, for the reason that the teeth e and h are inclosed against stones, shells, and dirt, or other substances Which Would interfere with their action. This Windlass may be used for other purposes than dredging.

I claim- The combination, in a Windlass, of a shaft held from sliding in its bearings by suitable devices, a rope spool ordrum having lockinglugs, a clutch composed of two parts, one of 25 

